American tennis player Ben Shelton has responded to a challenge from friend Arthur Fils over who performs better on clay courts. Shelton dismissed Fils' claim that he would dominate in a series of sets on the surface.
Shelton and Fils, who are friends and have practiced together, have a running debate about their skills on clay. Shelton said Fils is good on the surface but overestimates his ability.
"Arthur Fils, great player. He is very good on the clay; he is great on the clay. But he thinks he’s even better on the clay than he actually is," Shelton told the ATP.
Fils had claimed he would win eight or nine of 10 sets against Shelton on clay. Shelton called the assertion overly confident, saying it was "bulls***" that Fils would win all 10 sets in a row.
Fils issued an open challenge for the two to play 10 consecutive sets on clay whenever Shelton is ready. The pair have faced each other three times on hard courts but never on clay. Both players are entered in the National Bank Open in Montreal, which starts August 2.
